Cosme Velho Walk (Self Guided), Rio de Janeiro

To visit Cosme Velho is to journey into the past in a neighborhood bursting with character, monuments and memories of celebrated former residents, including artists and writers. This is a high-class residential area with cobblestone streets, brightly colored colonial houses and homes once occupied by members of the aristocracy.

Some of the crumbling façades speak of faded glories and add a romantic allure to this traditional neighborhood, which sits in the shadow of the Christ the Redeemer statue. Reach this famous monument via the Estação de Ferro do Corcovado, a railway line that connects to Corcovado Mountain, upon which the Art Deco statue stands.

There are many more captivating places of interest to visit here. Inside the Museu Internacional de Arte Naif do Brasil, study one of the foremost collections of naïf art in the world. This is a type of art by artists who typically have no formal training, and there are more than 8,000 works on display. They come from 130 countries, and the oldest pieces date back to the 15th century.

Spend some quiet moments in Largo do Boticário. This famous square features neo-colonial architecture from the 1920s. Admire these attractive buildings where members of Rio's high society used to live.